Water cooler for steam-driven vehicles



"May 6, 1924. 1,492,638

, C. KOHLER WATER COOLER FOR STEAM DRIVEN VEHICLES F-iled Aug. 5 1921 Patented May 6, 124.

STATES 1,92,63 PATENT OFFICE.

CONRAD KOHLER, O'F ZURICH, SWITZERLAND.

WATER CO'O'LER FOR STEAM-DRIVEN VEHICLES.

Application filed August 5, 1921. Serial No. 490,191.

in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The invention relates to improvements in cross-current recooling devices for steam driven vehicles-of the kind, in which a storage tank for water intended to compensate the evaporation losses of the cooling water is provided besides a collecting tankfor the water cooled by means of the air current.

The apparatus forming the subject matter of the present invention is 'arrangedinsuch a manner that at least part of the water cooled by the air current is at least from time to time caused to fall into the storage tank and the remainder of the water cooled by the air current and flowing into the collecting tank is supplied, together with cool water drawn from the storage tank, to the condenser whereby it is attained that even during the time the condenser has to deal with large quanitites of steam and when the re-cooling action of the water is weak, the temperature of the circulating water entering the condenser is suficiently low.

In the special case when the vehicle travels down an incline and when therefore a sufiiciently high velocity of, the vehicle is maintained by the action of the gradient and the main steam power engine does not work, the auxiliary engines for working the recooling device (electro-motor or small steampower engine) may be kept running for forcing water from the collecting tank and from the storage tank through the re-cooling device in order to cool it down toa low temperature and to prepare it in this way for a subsequent intensive cooling action.

The advantages of theapparatus embodying the present invention will now be explained with reference tothe accompanying drawing, which illustrates diagrammatically several constructional examples of the invention. In this drawing:

Fig. 1 shows a vertical section, transverse to the direction of running, through such an arrangement.

Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate parts ofthe ar' rangement in different operative positions,

Fig. 4c is a vertical section through a modified form of the arrangement and Fig. 5 is a vertical section through part of a further modification.

Referring to Fig. 1, 1 denotes the wall of a known cross-current recooling device of the type disclosed for instance in Patents Nos. 1,388,954 and 1,402,043 in which the water used for condensing the steam consumed in the steam power engine of the vehicle is cooled by the action of the air current in- ,duced upon the running of the vehicle. The wall 1 encloses, when. seen in section, the cooling zone AB C-D which is primarily intended for the continuous working of the re-cooling device. In the upper part of the latter pipes 2 are arranged longitudinally, into which pipes the water heated up in the condenser is forced by a cooling water pump and from which it falls down in a rain like distribution on being, discharged from a great number of small openings pro vided in said pipes. On its downward movement the water gets into contact with the air-current and transmits to the latter the heat absorbed from the steam in .the condenser. The continuous working. of the device shall, now first be described. The falling water collects on the floor AD, and falls through an aperture 3 into a collecting tank 4 and flows from there through the conduit 5 and the three-way cock 6, which is in the operative position shown in Fig. 1, intothe conduit 7. The latter leads to the suction space of the cooling water pump which. is not shown on the drawing. This pump forces the water in the manner described in my Patent No. 1,388,954-through the condenser and back to the distributing pipes 2 of the re-cooling device (Fig. 1) from where the water starts 'againon its cycle.- The-cooling water which for instance has a temperature of t, in the collecting tank is heated up in thecondenser to'the temperature t and is cooled down again in the re-cooler to the temperature It, when the device is working normally. If now the vehicle arrives at a stoppin place and if it is started up again after a stop ofsay a few minutes two importantdis advantages present themselves to the working of the locomotive.

Firstly to overcome the inertia and to impart the acceleration to the whole train, a

5 great driving moment acting on the driving axles of the locomotive is required which results in a great consumption of steam by the power mechanism (steam engine or steam turbine) moreover the low velocity on and soon after starting of the vehicle induces a feeble air current only and produces therefor but a small cooling action in the recooling device. The cooling water performing the above mentioned cycle is, when no further means are provided, heated up within a very short time to a high degree and far above the ordinary temperature 2%, as a determinate amount of water performing the cycle has to absorb a great amount of 'heat 90 in the condenser and only a small amount of heat can betransmitted to the small amount of air passing through the re-cooling device. In consequence thereof the vacuum and thereby the drop in temperature available in the steam will decrease quickly and excessively, and this just in a period in which the steam power mechanism requires the most eflicient utilization of steam. This great drawback can be overcome by the present process.

Upon turning the valve 6 into the operative position illustrated in Fig. 2 the cooling water pump draws water from the large storage basin 8 which contains a large amount of water. This water has up to this moment only been used to replace in the tank 4 the water lost by evaporation and that carried away with the cooling air current and lost by eventual leakages, the float controlled valve 9, 10 (Fig. 1) being adapted to effect a communication between tank 4: and basin 8. As soon as the valve 6 is turned fromthe position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2 quite cool water from the large tank 8 is conveyed to the condenser and causes therein a good vacuum. The water returned from thecondenser to the pipes 2 (Fig. 1) and falling then through the air current can now be returned into the storage tank 8 upon a slide or gate 11 provided on the floor A-B of the cooling zone being displaced from the position shown in Fig. 1 into a position shown in Fig.2, i. e. displaced towards the left. hen the train has attained such sioeed that the cooling action of i the "re-cooling plant is efiicient again the cycle 'of'the water is controlled again. in the manner hereinbefore described illustrated in Fig.1. q

so Ifnow, as is shown in Fig. 3, the gate 11 is adjusted into its mid positionand the valve 6 is alsoturnedinto its mid position, part of the water coole'd by the air current falls into the storage tank 8. In this case the cooling' waterpump delivers the remainder of the water cooled by the air current and flowing into the collecting tank it together with cooler water drawn from the storage tank 8 into the condenser. Also in this case the temperature of the water entering the condenser will be sufiiciently low even at periods in which the condenser is forced and the re-cooling action of the air is not high. This manner of controlling the flow of the cooling water may be made use of if, as is the case during an uphill journey, the condenser is highly forced and the recooling action is reduced on account of the lower velocity of the cooling air. A good working of the condensing plant is also ensured with this position of the controlling members on a continuous travel of the vehicle.

On a downhill journey, when the main steam power mechanism develops only a 1 small output or no output and when there is only a small amount of steam or no steam coming from the engine to be condensed, it is advantageous to keep the re-cooling device working, and even to extend the cooling action available in the air current to the "total amount of water contained in the collecting tank, in the large storage tank, in the condenser and in the conduits. To this end the gate 11. and the valve 6 are brought into the respective operative positions illustrated in Figs. 2 or 3 and the total amount ofthe water is forced in the cycle through the air current.

In Fig. 4: 20 denotes the collecting tank for the water cooled by the air current and 21 is the storage tank, which is connected to the collecting tank 20 by means of a conduit 22. A flap 23 operatively connected to a float2 l controls the passage of the water from the storage tank 21 into the collecting tank 20, which latter is connected up to the cooling water pump not shown in the drawing by means of the conduit 25. In the upper part of the storage tank 21 vertical baffle plates 26 are provided which serve to catch part of the water discharged from the pipes 27 and to conduct it to the storage tank 21 which, for this purpose, is provided with an opening in its top cover.

With this arrangement water flows continuously from the storage tank 21 into the collecting tank 20 as soon as the water level in the collecting tank 20 sinks below a certain height," in the latter tank the water from the storage tank mixes with the warmer part of the water cooled by the air current which part enters the collecting tank 20 directly after having been in contact withlthe coolingain i In order to attain that the total quantity of the water discharged by the pipes 27 is conducted to the storage tank 21 the vertical plates 26 may be provided with turnable flaps 28, as shown inFig'. 5, which divert in the position illustrated the total quantity of the water discharged from the pipes 27 into the space 29 confined by the plates 26.

I claim:

1. A cross-current re-cooling device for condensing plants on vehicles, comprising a collecting tank for the re-cooled water, a storage tank for cooling water, means to cause the water to be cooled to fall through a re-cooling device, adjustable means admitting, according to position, a flow of the cooled water into either the collecting or storage tank or into both, means to circulate the water to be cooled, and controlling means adapted to connect the suction side of said circulating means to either the collecting tank or the storage tank or to both.

2. A re-cooling device cooling by crosscurrent air, for condensing plants on vehicles, comprising a collecting tank for the water recooled by the air current, a storage tank for cooling water, a connection between said two tanks, means adapted to control said connection in dependency on the water level in the collecting tank, means distributing the water to be cooled to cause it to fall through the re-cooling device, adjustable means admitting, according to osition, a flow of the cooled water either into the collecting or into the storage tank, or into both, means efi'ecting a circulation of the water to be cooled, and controlling means adapted to connect the suction side of said circulating means either to the collecting or to the storage tank or to both.

3. A re-cooling device cooling by cross current air, for condensing plants on vehicles, comprising a collecting tank for the water recooled by the air current, a storage tank for cooling water, a connection between said two tanks, means adapted to control said connection in dependency on the water level in the collecting tank, means distributing the water to be cooled to cause it to fall through the re-cooling device, a slide adapted to shut OK at will at least partly, the collecting tank and the storage tank from the water falling through the crosscurrent re-cooling device, a circulation means for the water to be cooled, and controlling means adapted to connect the suction side of said circulation means either to the collecting or to the storage tank, or to both.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name.

CONRAD KOHLER. 

